East Africa Cabinet Secretary Peninah Malonza has confirmed that Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni and Kenya's William Ruto scheduled a meeting to disclose diplomatic tiffs bedevilling the two nations.
Speaking while surveying a road construction project in Kitui, on January 12, CS Malonza first praised Museveni, citing his keen interest in Kenya's affairs as the two countries look forward to settling their disparities.
"Uganda is one of the biggest markets for Kenya Oil, and we have coexisted very well with Uganda, and you know how much Museveni supports the issues of Kenya," CS Malonza laid the foundation for Ruto's meeting.
She, however, did not unveil the date, time, and place for the high-level meeting. State House was also yet to release Ruto's itinerary, with his latest whereabouts traced to Nyandarua County.
"There is already a seating that has been earmarked when the President will be meeting the other heads of state so that they can discuss the whole agenda," Malonza stated.
According to CS Malonza, Uganda which is a group A market for Kenya's oil, buys 90 per cent of its oil from Kenya even though it has its ways of exercising its duties and atrocities.
"Each democracy and the fact that we are in East Africa, they also do their own things within their domain and atrocities. Uganda is our group A market," Malonza commented.
The CS issued the update a day after government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura confirmed that Uganda had sued Kenya at the East Africa Community Court for denying it a licence to import oil via Mombasa Port.
However, Mwaura clarified that Kenya will not interfere with the proceeding but instead wait for the outcome.
Speaking in an interview with Citizen TV, he stated that Kenya had breached the oil deal contract signed in 2023, due to low returns.
“Kenya has a right to benefit from the foundations it has placed to put its tax on. So with Kenya trying to strategically position itself in the global economy, it has to ensure that it properly utilises its resources" Mwaura stated on January 9.
Museveni has earlier assured Ugandans that he would hold talks with Ruto to find a way forward rather than retaliate as pressured by his lawmakers.
